Power outage
Ukraine's energy system is gradually recovering after a systemic accident caused by the disconnection of high-voltage lines. Energy workers are working to restore power, and electricity supply will return within the next few hours.
In Ukraine, there was a serious cascading system failure, not a national blackout, said the former head of NEC "Ukrenergo". The incident could have been related to the disconnection of the 400 kV power line between Moldova and Romania.
Due to a systemic accident in Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the Chernihiv region is completely de-energized. The region is preparing for a complete transition to backup power if the situation does not stabilize.
The emergency situation in Ukraine's energy system occurred due to technological reasons on the lines between Ukraine and Moldova. This caused cascading outages, and power is promised to be restored in the coming hours.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has provided recommendations on the safe use of charging stations during power outages. Following these rules will help avoid dangerous situations.
Moldovan Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu stated that electricity supply in the country will be restored within one to two hours. This happened due to the activation of the power grid protection system in Ukraine, which caused a partial blackout in Moldova.
President Zelenskyy reported an emergency situation in Ukraine's energy system due to technological reasons on the lines between the energy systems of Ukraine and Moldova. Energy Minister Shmyhal explained that a technological disruption between Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine caused cascading outages, nuclear power plant units were unloaded, and power will be restored in the coming hours.
A technological disruption with the disconnection of power transmission lines between Romania and Moldova and in Ukraine caused a cascading outage of the power system. Emergency shutdown schedules have been applied in Kyiv, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv regions.
The Ministry of Energy announced emergency power outages in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv regions. According to forecasts, electricity supply will be restored within the next 2-3 hours.
In Kyiv, due to an accident in the power system, there is no water supply. Power engineers and Kyivvodokanal specialists are working to restore it.
Ukrainian businesses include generator payments in bills due to power outages. Legislation requires consumers to be informed of such payments in advance.
Power supply on the railway has been restored in almost all regions, trains are running on schedule. Kyiv City Express has resumed service with 20-30 minute delays.
A massive power outage has occurred in Moldova, including the capital Chisinau. Moldova's Minister of Energy stated that the cause is serious problems in the Ukrainian power grid.
Emergency power outages occurred in Kyiv and a number of regions of Ukraine, the metro stopped, and water supply disruptions arose. The reason is damage to the energy system as a result of Russian attacks.
Subway train movement and escalator operation in Kyiv have been temporarily suspended. The reason is a power outage from external power supply centers.
Due to bad weather, 617 settlements in four regions of Ukraine were de-energized. The Odesa region was most affected, with 363 settlements left without electricity.
The situation with mobile communications in the regions of Ukraine currently directly depends on the operation of the energy system: planned and emergency power outages affect equipment power, and massive shelling of energy infrastructure by the Russian Federation has made electricity supply in many regions unpredictable.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Russia is reorienting towards strikes on logistics and hub stations. He also noted that Ukraine is ready to mirror refraining from striking Russian energy facilities.
On January 31, hourly power outage schedules and power restrictions for industrial consumers will be in effect in all regions of Ukraine. The reason is the consequences of Russian attacks on energy facilities.
The "SvitloDim" program has launched in Ukraine, providing 100,000 to 300,000 UAH for the purchase of energy equipment for multi-story buildings. Applications are submitted online through "Diia"; the program operates under martial law.
Hundreds of millions of dollars in promised US energy aid to Ukraine have yet to be disbursed, raising concerns amid a harsh winter. The funds, intended for gas imports and infrastructure reconstruction, are stuck due to bureaucratic confusion and internal disputes within the Trump administration.
Ukrainian business is adapting to wartime realities, changing planning approaches and establishing dialogue with authorities. The rule of law, national security, and demining are key to recovery.
Former head of "Ukrenergo" Volodymyr Kudrytskyi refuted claims about the energy independence of individual cities, emphasizing Zhytomyr's critical dependence on the national grid. He noted that cogeneration units provide only a small fraction of the city's needs, and past "miracles" were associated with violations of orders.
In Kyiv's Desnianskyi district, some supermarkets will operate 24/7, offering groceries, phone charging, and food reheating services.
The IAEA Board of Governors held an emergency meeting regarding nuclear risks from Russia's systematic attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. IAEA head Rafael Grossi confirmed that these attacks fall under the organization's mandate and pose direct nuclear risks.
Minister of Health Viktor Liashko supported the energy resilience of the capital's Center for Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery. The implementation of new heart treatment technologies was also discussed.
Former head of "Ukrenergo" Volodymyr Kudrytskyi stated that Kyiv's residential areas, particularly Troyeshchyna, are critically dependent on a limited number of large energy facilities. This increases their vulnerability during Russian attacks, as the lack of local sources leads to large-scale outages.
Electricity consumption in Ukraine corresponds to seasonal indicators. Due to bad weather, 276 settlements in five regions are without power, and hostilities have damaged energy equipment in frontline regions.
Former head of "Ukrenergo" Volodymyr Kudrytskyi stated that Russia knows the location of key objects of Ukraine's energy system due to its centralized model. Distributed generation from small power plants is much more difficult to detect and destroy.
Former head of "Ukrenergo" Volodymyr Kudrytskyi stated that generators from partners are a temporary solution. They support the operation of invincibility points, but do not solve the problem of electricity shortage.